Dream Chaser
by K. Petra
Summary: It was a selfish notion; a foreign one for someone who'd always belonged to the world, especially while there is growing unrest among the vines. The spirits whisper of ominous futures, yet she put the world on hold to follow her heart. /Asami and Korra have been missing after the defeat of Kuvira/
1. Chapter 1

_**Dream Chaser**_

By K. Petra

Chapter One: _Wanderer_

 _It was a selfish notion; a foreign one for someone who'd always belonged to the world, especially while there is growing unrest among the vines._

 _The spirits whisper of ominous futures, yet she put the world on hold to follow her heart._

 _/Asami and Korra have been missing after the defeat of Kuvira/_

* * *

One year. Five months. Three Weeks. Two days.

Sometimes I wonder if she'd still recognize me after all this time.

I take special care to blend in these days. Beneath the plain reddish-brown hood that shadows most of my face from view, I've taken on the look of a wanderer; common upon the crowded streets of Ba Sing Se. Most people amble on with their own business, never giving me a second glance.

It's hard, sometimes, to be just an observer. All my life, I'd preferred to take an active approach on everything happening around me. It's especially difficult now, when I am finally attuned to what I'm capable of, when the gloves in my hands often clench with knowledge of what I can do.

Anonymity is important.

I've chosen to walk this path alone.

Still, my mind wanders as I take in the familiar sights. It is not the first time I've visited this city. I might have had company with me last time, but like the last, I find the place to be nothing more than an awkward amalgamation of heat and oppressiveness.

Crowded streets are full of desperate souls struggling to survive.

They say that sunsets in Ba Sing Se are the most romantic in the world.

I've known better.

I've spent lovelier, happier eventides in Republic City, where the clouds blushed pink and the earth burned the passionate red of promise. When warmth was the pair of arms around my waist, and light lingered in sultry eyes long after the day had departed.

I'd experienced a sorrowful, heartbreaking time in the Spirit World as day surrendered to night. Saw evening rays bleed gold and crimson as ocean currents drank in a reluctant sun. In those moments, the girl on my back seemed to weigh nothing at all, and the serene expression on her face empowered me more than any healing water could.

I'd climbed higher and higher up mountain to chase the sunlight, feeling as though I could go on forever. Pleading that I could keep walking always, never letting her down, as long as my beloved kept smiling like that, as long as that day did not end, and the spirits did not depart.

But the solar flames died, while tired eyes drifted shut.

Ba Sing Se…could not begin to compare.

Whoever said that sunsets depended on the last minute glory of the dying sun, or the loyal caress of faithful clouds juggling light back and forth…

Well, they lied.

The most romantic sunsets live reflected in lovers' eyes. When they close, the world learns darkness.

This city is no better than the last. My only hope is that perhaps it has what I am searching for, though finding it would probably last at least a couple of days.

Taking in a deep breath, I shrugged and started eying for a good place to stay.

"Ras!" I called.

For a long time now, Rasa has been my only companion. About the same time I had just started on my journey, I found her in the spirit world; alone, also searching for something she'd lost.

We are an odd pair; we both have an emptiness inside we're trying to fill. As I search for my heart, she searches for an identity. A spirit without memories of what or who it is does not have a permanent form.

As I narrow my eyes to search for what type of animal she's chosen to take shape of now, a bright yellow bird flies over to land on my shoulder, tilting its head slightly towards the inn on the left.

I look at the inn skeptically.

"Hmm. You think?"

The spirit chirps.

"This one it is then."

* * *

Bright, piercing eyes, is what the owner of one of the city's largest inns found himself facing; and a soft voice that holds the hint of steal. I find that the best way for people to not ask questions is through intimidation.

"Three nights to be paid in advance. If I need more time I will alert you. Under no circumstances will anyone disturb me, or enter my room."

Daunted but stubborn, I can tell that he is trying to judge me through the raggedness of my clothes and the strange glowing bird on my shoulder as he struggles to maintain composure.

"Look, miss…we don't want any trouble. If you want a room, you can probably rent it at a cheaper place down the street."

By the greedy look in his eyes, I know I would not need to stop to argue with him. Instead, I throw a bag of gold ingots onto the counter, already walking away.

The inn owner's eyes widened and he raised one hand, as if to stop me.

"Miss! This…this is enough to buy the whole-"

He'll take the gold without much persuasion. I wait until I'm already halfway towards the dining area by the entrance of the inn before I reply back.

"I want the room with the best street view. Kick out whoever's staying there now. Consider the amount as compensation."

Everything having settled, I found myself a table and proceeded to order some pau buns. Not feeling exactly hungry, but feeling obligated to at least eat something before the night ends, I tore a piece of one of the buns and took a bite, feeding most of it to the bird on my shoulder.

I had expected a peaceful end to the rest of the day before heading out the next morning, but not long after I began to settle down did commotion break around a table a short distance away.

A year or two ago, I would have jumped in without hesitation. At the moment, however, I was not too keen on interacting with anyone. So I continued to sit, eyeing them warily as I fed my spirit companion.

Three men sat at the table closest to the exit, blocking the way out from a blind middle-aged woman and her young daughter, who looked no older than fifteen. The men leered at the girl lustfully, lunging to grab hold of her arm while the poor mother knelt and wept for mercy.

The largest man simply laughed, urging the other two to pull the girl closer.

"Give it up, lady. You couldn't pay our protection fee, so we'll take the girl as payment."

At this the woman wildly leapt forward, as if in attempt to pull her daughter back. But the man simply bent a ball of fire her way, easily knocking her to the ground.

Within the men's hold, the daughter screamed and pulled away from them as she watched her mother fall.

My blood boiled. People like those men make me sick. Still seated at my table, I secretly frowned at the spectacle and decided to intervene before it was too late. Sighing internally, I twisted a pair of metal chopsticks between my gloved fingers before sending them towards the men.

The effect was immediate; the two attempting to recapture the young girl were hit by the well-calculated throw. As I had expected, the electricity carried from the glove onto the chopsticks created a minute explosion, enough for the men to be blown towards the wall and knocked down for the time being.

I'd hoped that the third man would feel threatened enough to leave without causing more of a scene. Yet despite the initial surprise at the sudden attack on his comrades, the firebender quickly turned to face me, dashing towards my table with a column of fire already bursting from the open palms of his hands.

Reading the intention within his movements, I bent backwards to dodge the line of fire easily, not caring to stand from my seated position. But the man would not stop there. He noted the change in my position, jumping forward to land in a swift downward punch to my exposed front.

He could not have expected that this was also within my calculations. I was too quick for him, already back upright, body twisted slightly to the side with one arm extended to strike his back with my glove. It took less than a second; he was slumped to the ground before his already fallen friends could gather themselves up.

None of them would be able to bully anyone for a while; the mother and daughter should be safe. Task accomplished, I no longer needed to pay any of them any heed.

Thus while the inn's customers watched, amazed, I tried to settle back into feeding Rasa as though nothing had occurred. A minute later the two men by the door scrambled over to grab their unconscious comrade, hastily rushing out the exit with one last call back once they reached a safe distance.

"We'll report this back to our boss. You haven't seen the last of us yet!"

I heard them, but did not care, choosing to focus back onto the bird that was twittering softly as it hopped onto my shoulder.

Long ago, I probably would have secretly basked in the glory of the awed looks I am receiving. Perhaps I would have chased after them and made sure they'd be sent to prison, or maybe I would have gone over to the victims and talked to them with prideful reassurance.

But at the moment I did not want the attention. While anonymity wasn't a necessity, I did not wish for any attachments in this place. I would leave the same way I arrived- alone and unnoticed- though perhaps a few steps closer to my goal.

Eventually normal business resumed in the inn. To my dismay, the young girl and her mother faltered at the door, unwilling to leave but hesitant on how to approach me. It was not until much later, when almost everyone had gone back to their rooms, did I turn to the pair. I didn't speak, but my eyes beckoned to the younger, eyebrows slightly raised in question.

Noticing the gesture, the girl led her mother over to the table, the older of the two bowing in reverence once they arrived.

"Thank You for saving us," the blind woman exclaimed.

I hesitated slightly at the woman's demure voice, but my attention was solely on the daughter, who looked at me unblinkingly as though trying to decipher my intentions.

There was something about her that seemed…peculiar.

For a moment we stared into each other's eyes, before the younger girl looked away.

"…You shouldn't have done that," the girl began.

The mother immediately pulled on her daughter's sleeves, calling out her name in warning.

"Tovan!"

But the girl was undeterred.

"Mother, she has to know! Those guys will come back, and when they bring their leader with them, it will only get worse."

At this I chose speak, intrigued. "Tell me. Has it always been this way? Who are those guys?"

Tovan took in a deep breath.

"They've always lived here as a sort of…neighborhood bully. But they've never managed to accomplish much. One day about a year ago, their leader, Dao, gained a mysterious power. No one had the strength to go against him, so his cronies began to threaten everyone for 'protection money'. Whoever failed to pay would be subject to their abuse."

My face displayed no emotion as I processed the information. A surge of hope swelled in my chest. Perhaps Dao has what I am looking for.

Yet before I could say anything else, the spirit on my shoulder suddenly began to chirp excitedly, alerting me of a new presence within the city.

I nodded, standing up, and turning away from the mother-daughter pair, having heard enough.

"Alright. Try to avoid them for the next few days. You'll be fine after that."

"Don't you understand?" The mother spoke up, hearing the dismissive tone in my voice. "You will be targeted."

Yet despite the older woman's concern, I departed without a single backwards glance. Tovan remained quiet, watching my retreating back thoughtfully before turning to reassure her mother.

The last thing I heard before I passed the door was-

"It's okay mom. I think she knows of these things much more than we do."

* * *

I found myself hiding in the shadow of a building fifteen minutes later, watching two familiar faces walk along the poorly lit streets.

"Hey Mako! Wait! Makoooo…."

The tall police detective continued his brisk walk, eyes darting left and right for clues as he ignored his brother's cries from behind.

"Mako! Stop!"

A wall of earth rose from the ground directly in front of the dark-haired man, and he narrowed his eyes, quickly turning back to face the person who had obstructed his path.

"Bolin."

The younger sibling rushed to catch up, breathing heavily as he laid one hand on his brother's shoulder for support. Mako showed no sympathy, however. He crossed his arms, frowning.

"You _know_ how important this is. Something's wrong with the spirit vines, and I don't care what they say, there's something really sinister going on. We have to find Korra before it's too late."

Shrugging off his brother's hand, Mako moved to continue his search, now with Bolin following closely by his side.

"But how do you know we're even on the right track? The person we're following, the descriptions seem to match Asami."

Mako paused, looking aimlessly ahead as he replied.

"Exactly. Whatever's going on, Asami and Korra disappeared on the same day. If anyone knows where Korra is, she's our best bet."

Bolin's eyes widened in understanding, yet the conversation was cut off when I chose that moment to appear on the rooftop of the building in front of them. The hood I wore prevented them from seeing my face, but the gloves I wore were remarkably similar as that of the Equalists they had fought before. Recognizing my gloves, the brothers could only stare as they tried to determine whether I was a friend or foe.

The older brother hesitated. But Bolin, true to his honest nature, immediately took the chance to call out.

"Asami! It's you, isn't it? Where have you been all of this time? Why haven't you contacted us?"

I paused slightly at the name, but after a moment, I willed myself to speak up, voice muddled as it echoed from the distance.

"Stop trying to follow me."

No longer able to keep quiet, Mako took a few steps forward and raised his hands, as if to negotiate to keep me from leaving.

"Look, Asami, if it's really you…whatever you did back then, it's okay. We're not even going to ask about it. We just want to know where Korra is."

The second name evoked a different set of emotions from me entirely. To the brothers' surprise, I let out a bitter laugh.

"Korra was a selfish fool, always chasing her dreams of heroism. It's about time that the world learns how to save itself. You two should leave. You won't accomplish anything by following me."

In the blink of an eye, I jumped from the rooftop and disappeared from the young men's sight. Behind a building I stood, watching them run past me and down the street before I headed off in the opposite direction. It would probably not be enough to stop them from following me. But perhaps they would be hesitant enough to directly approach once they catch onto my trail once more.

As I walked, a gentle weight dropped onto my shoulder.

 _You're sad._

The thought echoed into my mind, and I sighed, turning to look at the bird spirit at had sent it.

"It's okay, Ras. I know I have to do this. I'm just not used to talking to those guys that way."

The bird tilted its head, rubbing onto my cheeks lightly as if trying to comfort me.

 _Story time?_

Rasa's question was asked eagerly. Innocently.

But I knew the spirit only mentioned story time partially to cheer me up, so I smiled indulgently when Rasa's thoughts entered my mind.

"Sure. We haven't seen her all day, have we?"

I pulled out a glass locket that hung around my neck. In the darkness of the night, it glowed brightly, the tear drops inside swirling along with my movements. As my hand stilled, the fluid began to settle, and we both stared intently at the image of the young woman appearing inside.

Soft dark hair framed the peaceful expression on her face. She lay on the bed of ice, eyes closed and completely motionless. I check on her from time to time, but as always, she hadn't moved from the place I'd hid her in for the past year and a half.

My heart aches, but I turn to smile sadly at Rasa.

"She's still sleeping, huh?"

The spirit chirps.

I continue walking, headed back to the inn.

"Well, why don't I tell you how we met? I first met her at a gala in the City Hall, held by a man named Tarrlok…"

* * *

End Chapter 1.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Dream Chaser**_

By K. Petra

 **A/N:** Before reading, please note that this chapter will be in Rasa's POV. It will switch back and forth every even and odd chapter (with even chapters being Rasa's). I know it's confusing, but there is a reason to all of this, please bear with me.

Chapter Two: _Spirit Child_

My first memory was of tears; a bright soul was crying, crying, crying.

The person with that pure soul held a woman in her arms…but no matter what she did, the other woman was not moving.

I did not know why, but I felt drawn to that sad being. It was as though she had something of mine, and only she could ever return it.

I did not know who I was, or where I needed to be. So I followed her, watching from the shadows for days as the tears eventually dried, but her heartache remained.

It seemed like she stayed that way for a long time, holding the other woman week after week.

As a spirit, I did not need to eat. I spent my time watching, trying to understand why the sight of her intrigues me so, and why I felt like she is the key to my memories.

Then one day, she decided to leave the spirit world.

I flew after her, careful to be as silent as possible in case she discovered me and sent me away.

But the soul was very kind.

She'd noticed me long before we both left the portal. That night, instead of telling me to leave, she'd asked me if I wanted to join her quest. Me, for my memories. She, to save the life of her beloved.

It was then that, right before dawn, I was first given a name: Rasa…And she became my mistress.

Since then we have traveled through forests and cities, searching for the pieces of a soul that once belonged to the lover my mistress had left in the spirit world.

They come in the form of tiny tear drops that are absorbed into someone or something, changing it and giving it more power.

I detect the location of the tear drops for my mistress, storing them in her locket each time we successfully extract one.

She hopes that one day, we will have enough to revive her lover.

In the mean time, being close to the tear drops make me stronger. They fill up my mind, often helping trigger the memories I had lost.

But the feelings overwhelm my mistress each time. Frightens her.

Each time a part of that soul is recovered, we can see into her lover's past. Sometimes, it is a memory that they both share.

This worries me.

As a spirit, it is difficult for me to fully express all my thoughts to my mistress. Still, she tries as best as she can. She'd tell me stories about that person in hopes I'd be able to better comprehend why mistress is trying so hard to save her.

I listen to her stories patiently, faithfully.

What she doesn't know is that I learn much more of her lover through her frequent dreams.

My mistress lives for nights like these, where her dreams of that person are the happiest. Yet they tend to give way to most unbearably miserable mornings once she wakes up.

Similar to with the stories she tells me, I watch the events in her dreams play out faithfully.

Helplessly.

* * *

 _It was actually Asami's idea._

 _With everything bad going on, she thought that doing something spontaneous for the day would give them both some respite to calm their minds._

 _But as she and Korra entered the trolley, the men and women already inside seemed to stare at them curiously, and Asami began to nervously fumble with her fingers._

 _Between Naga and her satomobiles, they never really took the time to travel as most people in the city did. She had half a mind to turn back, yet the sight of Korra's smile assured her that perhaps… everything would work out after all._

 _They stumbled over to an empty corner before the trolley began to move._

 _The first few seconds were awkward. It was hard to think of a conversation while people were so close by. Instead, they opted to look out the windows._

 _Asami sighed as her mind raced, trying to settle into her seat. She failed to notice that beside her, the avatar was nervously fidgeting for a different reason entirely._

 _Korra's face remained dead-set towards the windows as she sat, back straight and hands holding onto each side of the bench. Her fingers drummed the wooden seat lightly, feet tapping on the ground as she pondered her next course of action._

 _A swift glance around them told her that even while people were initially surprised with their presence, no one was looking at them directly._

 _At the corner of Korra's eyes, she could see Asami twiddling her thumbs slightly. A cute habit, she thought, and she took in a deep breath._

 _Then…_

 _The trolley stopped. People were walking out._

 _Asami stifled a gasp when a warm hand slid smoothly into her own. Their fingers intertwine, and Korra made no move to stand up, face still turned away, seemingly nonchalant._

 _The doors of the trolley closed, leaving them alone inside._

" _I know we're both busy, but I want to continue this…see how far it goes." A slow blush crawls up the avatar's neck despite the serene tone of her voice, and Asami smiled, recognizing the double meaning in the girl's suggestion._

 _The green-eyed girl squeezed the hand holding hers encouragingly. "So…"_

 _Feeling the gentle pressure on the palm of her hand, Korra closed her eyes as if in attempt to calm her quickly beating heart._

" _So…together, okay?"_

 _It wasn't a profession of love._

 _Neither of them were even sure what existed between them. Sometimes, words could never properly express or define._

 _But together it was._

 _Asami nodded, then leaned forward to press her forehead against the other girl's back._

" _Okay."_

* * *

Mistress jolts awake, tears in her eyes.

I keep a respectful distance, alerting her gently of my presence by rustling my wings, before flying out of the window so she would know that I have gone.

It is the same every single time. There is work for me to do, and my mistress will wish to be alone for a while.

This morning is no different. For almost half an hour, I fly aimlessly around the city, before the sight of the two men from yesterday catches my eyes.

Having nothing better to do, I decide to follow them to see what they are up to. I shift into the form of a bumble fly just in time to lightly land on the younger brother's belt unnoticed. He was taking turns between munching on an apple and talking.

"So…is there something you need to tell me about Asami?"

Similar to yesterday, Mako seemed reluctant to join his brother in conversation. His lips pursed as he tried to decide on what to say, before finally-

"That's classified information."

"Seriously, bro?" Bolin stared at him, facial expression clearly unimpressed.

They stared at each other for a couple of minutes, before the older brother relented.

"Fine!" He said, crossing his arms, "All I can tell you is that we have reason to believe that Asami had monetary connections with Kuvira, backing the latter's attempt to take over the Earth Empire. I didn't want to believe it at first, and it's partially my fault for not attempting to connect with her more once Korra left to the South for treatment. But I guess after she started seeing her father again…"

He paused, and Bolin took the chance to exclaim loudly, "No way! You remember that this is Asami we're talking about, right? The same Asami who chose to remain on our side after finding out her father was an Equalist!?"

Bolin's loud outburst startles me, and I flutter my wings in attempt to settle back down.

"I know. It doesn't add up. Before that final battle with Kuvira, I'd talked to Korra about this and asked her to confront Asami. But then both of them disappeared, so I can't help but think that Asami might have a large part in all of this."

If only they know the truth, I think, regretfully. They don't seem like bad people.

Perhaps, if given the chance, they might be able to help my mistress.

As the brothers each quiet down with their own thoughts, a couple of yells resound in the air. They break into a run towards the source of the cacophony, with me still clinging on to the younger one's clothing.

We end up at a dead end of an alley, where a girl was standing beside three unconscious men. I quickly recognize her to be the one from yesterday, but the brothers, never having met her before, eyed her cautiously. They raised their arms, preparing to fight. Bolin's apple was quickly thrown into a nearby dumpster.

Before they could jump into action, however, Tovan immediately spoke up once she spotted them.

"Please don't alert anyone. I didn't do anything. I'm just… I was just picking up some medicinal herbs for my mother, when I ended up at the wrong place at the wrong time."

Mako's gaze remained fixed on her in silent observation, but Bolin relaxed his stance upon noticing her frail appearance.

"You don't know who these guys are, then?"

The elder brother's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"I do! But…" She glanced at our surroundings, before whispering "Can we just…go somewhere safe first? I promise I'll explain everything."

She motioned for the young men to follow her.

"You must not be from around here. I know you don't really trust me just yet…but these people are part of a local gang. It's better if we just leave them there. We'll be in trouble once they wake up."

They hesitated, however, throwing swift glances at each other and at the men on the ground. Satisfied that the men did in fact look like they would be from some sort of gang, the brothers agreed to join her.

She led us through a series of intricately winding streets before stopping at the door of a small run-down house. After a couple of knocks, a grey-haired woman opened the door. From my hiding place, I could see the brothers visibly relax upon seeing the harmless-looking woman.

They followed her inside, and are quickly invited for a cup of tea by the tiny table in the corner. As her mother left for the kitchen, Tovan began her explanation.

"Those guys are part of a street gang here, lead by a man named Dao. A short while ago, Dao gained some sort of mysterious power, and began to bully everyone around here for money. Because my mother and I didn't have anything to give them, he sent his subordinates to capture us. We escaped yesterday, but this morning they caught sight of me while I was walking down the street. They chased me down the alley, but lost sight of me after I duck behind a dumpster. Shortly after, those three were punished by Dao for failing to bring me back."

For a moment, the siblings remained quiet. Curious on what their reaction would be, I climbed up Bolin's shoulder to look at their faces. The younger brother seemed appalled, while the elder's expression darkened considerably.

"A mysterious power…you wouldn't happen to know anything about the dark spirits that have been appearing lately, do you?"

The girl turned to look at Mako directly in the eyes, before shaking her head slowly.

"You're both benders, aren't you?"

At this, Bolin was quick to nod. Noting his childlike expression, the girl moved forward to touch his right arm.

"If you're investigating the dark spirits, maybe Dao will be able to give you an answer. He's dangerous, I wouldn't dare to ask you to help us fight him…but maybe if you can find out how he got his power, and find a way to rid him of it, you'll be saving our entire neighborhood."

It strikes me as odd how she invited them to fight Dao, while warning my mistress against it the day before. But before I can process the thought, I am distracted by the shorter man's sudden movement. His eyes brighten in eagerness as he juts out his chest in pride.

"Sure! Leave it to-"

His brother's hand against his chest stalls Bolin from continuing, and Mako used the chance to interrupt.

"No. We can't just listen to your side alone. We'll find out for ourselves what's going on around here, and if what you say is true, we'll give this Dao guy what he deserves."

Mako made a move to stand up, pulling his younger brother along with him. "Anyway, if you'll excuse us…"

He drifted off, eyes softening slightly at the sight of the blind mother carrying a tray towards them. Unaware that her guests were about to leave, the old woman set the tray onto the table with a tad of fumbling.

They all reach forward to help her.

"It's been such a long time since we've had guests around! Please, enjoy yourselves. We don't have much to offer, but the tea isn't too bad."

For the first time all morning, I noticed a hint of gentleness in Mako's voice.

"You're too kind, Ma'am."

Hands shaking somewhat, the woman reached forward to hold onto Mako's hand kindly.

"Make yourselves at home. After my husband died, it's always been just me and my daughter. I'm getting older, and Tovan here is always taking the time to take care of me instead of going out and meeting new people. I'm always afraid that one day, I'll end up leaving her all alone. It's nice to know that she's made new friends after all."

Realization hits the three of us at once; Tovan's mother is not aware of why she brought the brothers here.

I half-expect Mako to deny their relationship, but he simply placed a hand on the woman's shoulder.

They continue to talk, with Bolin occasionally wiping his eyes as the woman described the condition in which they've been living and the life they've lead. It took me a while as I listen to their conversation, before I remember that Tovan had not said anything else since then.

I turned to look at her, noting her smile as she watches her mother chat animatedly.

All of a sudden, she turned toward Bolin, eyes catching sight of me.

"Hey! There's a bumble fly on your shoulder."

The young man jumped while I fly off.

"Yikes! Those don't sting, do they? Get if off me, Mako!"

Before they can touch me, I ducked through a hole in the window and head back to my mistress, having heard enough.

Mistress thinks that part of her lover's soul might be the source of Dao's newfound power.

Something about Dao seemed strange to me, but the presence of my mistress's lover does surround this place. I can now confirm her suspicion that a tear drop does exist in this part of the city.

I will help her find it.

* * *

End Chapter Two.


End file.
